Heart Disease Has Doubled In The Last Two Decades

The incidence of heart diseases has doubled in the last two decades. The risk in Indians is four times that of white Americans, six times of Chinese and 20 times of that in the Japanese. Indians have more diabetes, small vessel disease, diffuse disease and often present late. The average age of heart disease in India is 56 years versus 64 years in the West. This was stated by Padma Shri & Dr. BC Roy National Awardee, Dr. KK Aggarwal, President Heart while delivering a lecture in a seminar organized by Dept. of Science & Technology, Government of India.

Dr. Aggarwal also demonstrated CPR 10, the technique of hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Dr. Aggarwal further said that 17 states in India have already banned manufacture and sales of Gutka and other smokeless tobacco products. The time has now come for the country as a whole to ban these products.  

Dr Inderjeet Singh, IAS, Joint Secretary, Dept. of Science & Technology, said that a healthy lifestyle can prevent diseases like heart attack, diabetes and blood pressure. He said that one should exercise every day and should live a life devoid of stress.

Dr. Aggarwal also said that only 8% of heart patients in India receive clot-dissolving or removal therapy as compared to 40% of heart patients in the West. He said that the time of onset to admission in a hospital is 300 minutes in India as against 170 minutes in Europe and 120 minutes in the US.